Did He Go To Jared's?
by nherbie
Summary: Shelton Universe #2. Deeks needs to go shopping for something very important and he doesn't do it alone. You will probably need to read at least part of Cotillion to know some of the OCs.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – I don't own Jared's, NCIS:LA or any of its characters. So not fair….

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Chapter 1

To say Marty Deeks was frustrated would be an understatement. He was beyond frustrated. He'd been trying to get Nell alone all day. Every time he thought he was home free, either Eric or Kensi showed up. He would swear that their significant others had some kind of radar that went off when the two of them were in proximity to each other. He'd been back to work fulltime for several weeks now and was finally feeling like it was time to move forward. He'd been working with Nate on his feelings about his abduction and torture and felt he was in a really good place. He'd talked it over with the psychologist, who'd been supportive and happy for them both. He'd agreed that Deeks was over the worst of it but had extracted a promise that he would keep up with his therapy sessions with the doctor Nate had recommended when he'd been given another assignment out of the country.

Laura had texted to say that she'd set up an appointment for them with her jeweler for a week from Saturday and now he needed to be sure Nell didn't make any plans. He couldn't text her, Eric always peeked over her shoulder whenever she got one and she didn't seem to mind. In fact she thought it was cute. And there was no way he was letting Eric in on this. Kensi would know within minutes. She'd just have to look at him funny and he'd spill his guts. He thought about emailing Nell to meet him somewhere alone but that just felt creepy and he wasn't going to put it in writing on the NCIS server. Damn.

He sighed and kept working on his laptop, one eye on the staircase up to ops, watching for Nell to appear. Across the bullpen, Kensi was eying him. She hadn't missed the fact that something was going on with her partner/boyfriend and that something had to do with Nell. She'd made it a point to follow Deeks whenever Nell was around, hoping to catch them in whatever they were doing. When the woman in question came down the stairs with an armful of folders, Kensi watched as he ever so nonchalantly got up, grabbed a random folder off his desk and followed the redhead towards the burn room. She frowned and decided to wait a few minutes before doing some following of her own.

Nell opened the door to the burn room, not realizing Deeks was right on her heels. He almost scared the hell out of her when he entered behind her, then shut and locked the door. "Um, well, hey there Deeks. What'cha doing?" Nell eyed the locked door in confusion.

"I've been trying to get you alone all day but Eric and Kensi keep popping up!"

"Alone? Why would you want to get me alone?" Nell backed up a little, kind of freaked out by an uncharacteristically intense Deeks. She knew better but couldn't stop the little frisson of alarm that ran through her as she began to edge her way around the detective to get to the door.

"I wanted to ask you something. Something important."

"Oh, yeah, okay? Why here?" She continued to move around him.

"This was the first time you were alone where I can keep them out for a few minutes."

"Deeks, you know Kensi is my best friend and that I consider you a good _friend_ as well? You remember I'm with Eric, right?"

Deeks looked at her in confusion and, when he realized what she was implying, burst into laughter, causing Nell to forget her quest for the door and to put her hands on her hips, asking "Just _what_ is so funny about that?"

"Nell, Velma, I love you…like a sister. I can't believe you thought I followed you in here to…do what exactly?" Now he was finding himself somewhat offended.

"I thought you were going to…never mind, it's not important. What _is_ important is why you cornered me in here."

Deeks blushed and wasn't sure where to start so just blurted it out. "I want you to go with Laura and me to her jewelers a week from Saturday and help me design a ring for Kensi! It's at 11, can you make it?"

"A ring?" It took a second and then Nell squealed and jumped into his arms. "You're going to propose? You're going to propose to Kensi!"

Deeks laughed and put his arms around her, swinging her around as well as he could in the small room, both of them laughing with joy. "Yup, I am and as Kensi's best friend I'd really appreciate it if you'd give me your input. Once we settle on a couple designs, I'm planning on having all the girls look at them and help me pick the perfect one for her." He put her back down. Nell's eyes filled up and she sniffled. "What's the matter Nellasauros?" She was reacting just like Laura had so he had a fairly good idea.

"One, that's sooo romantic and two, I'm so honored that you asked me!"

Deeks grinned at her and asked "So you'll do it?"

She slugged him in the shoulder and said "What do you think Shaggy?" They were grinning goofily at each other when they heard a scratching at the door. Someone was picking the lock. They looked at the door and back at each other, knowing full well who was on the other side. Deeks winked at her, whispered "I told you!" and folded his arms across his chest, facing the door. Nell chuckled and mirrored his pose. The lock snicked open and Kensi catapulted into the room, stopping short at the sight of the two of them waiting for her.

Taking the offensive, she asked "Which one of you wants to explain what you're both doing in the burn room with the door locked?"

Nell looked at her innocently and said "I always lock the door when I have a large number of classified documents to burn. Deeks just happened to come in behind me and got stuck until I was done."

Kensi narrowed her eyes at her friend and then looked at her boyfriend, catching a smirk on his face that quickly disappeared, to be replaced with an over done "who me?" look. She didn't believe either one of them but couldn't figure out what was going on. Her birthday wasn't for months nor was their anniversary. She opened her mouth and closed it, not sure what to ask or how to ask it, without sounding jealous and suspicious, only one of which she was. Instead she settled for a harrumph and flounced back out the door, heading back to the bullpen. Deeks and Nell looked at each other and started laughing again, the sound carrying to Kensi as she walked away. She almost turned back to demand they tell her what they were up to but then decided not to give them the satisfaction. Her unrequited curiosity made her grumpy the rest of the day; she was a Leo after all.

Back in the burn room, once they got their laughter under control, Nell voiced her concern about how the team and their bosses were going to react. She worried that they would break up the team and that, in her mind, would be a huge mistake. Their team was one of the elite and busting them up would be disastrous for NCIS in general and OSP in particular. Deeks related the story of how he'd asked Sam and Callen for their permission, both of them saying yes, getting Nell to giggle at his descriptions, complete with hand waving. When he added that Hetty and Granger had been within earshot during the conversation and that they had both indicated they would back him up, Nell teared up again, relieved that her worries were for nothing. Then she asked "What did Kensi's mom say?"

Deeks shuffled his feet and didn't say anything. "Deeks? You did talk to Kensi's mom, right? If you talked to Sam, Callen, Hetty and Granger then you need to be sure you talk to Julia as well."

"I know, I know! For some reason I'm more worried about that than anything else. I know Julia likes me but I worry about whether she thinks I'm good enough for her daughter to _marry_."

Nell got indignant on his behalf. "Why in the world wouldn't she think that? You two are made for each other and I doubt anyone believes otherwise. Deeks, I saw her in the hospital when you were in the ICU. Her concern was for you, not for how the situation impacted Kensi. She loves you and she knows you're the best thing that ever happened to her daughter." She slugged him in the shoulder again, letting him know how silly she thought his concerns were.

The two conspirators firmed up their plans on when to meet, with Deeks sending Nell the address to her phone and getting her readily made promise not to tell Eric a thing. While she loved the man to distraction, she knew that he wouldn't be able to withstand a Kensi Marie Blye interrogation. What he didn't know, he couldn't tell and wouldn't hurt him. They exited the room together and went their separate ways.

When Deeks sat back down at his desk, he found he couldn't concentrate. His mind kept wandering to the future, picturing different scenarios, all of which presumed Kensi said yes. He refused to contemplate any other outcome, knowing if it was anything other than yes, he'd be blindsided. The pictures in his mind always seemed to include a miniature blue eyed, brunette version of Kensi and a blonde version of himself. He would find himself smiling dreamily into space, much to the annoyance of the rest of his team.

When Sam had to say his name for the third time when they were deciding on what to do for lunch, the ex-Seal had poked him in the shoulder, none too gently and asked "What's going on over there Shaggy? You surfing somewhere in your mind?"

Deeks simply grinned at him and shook his head no. He looked over at Kensi's desk to find it empty. He wasn't sure where his partner had gone, hadn't even noticed her leave the bullpen. "Where's Kensi?" He asked, instead of answering Sam's question.

Sam shook his head in disgust and looked over at Callen who shrugged. "She went to the firing range about 20 minutes ago. She told all of us where she was going. Where the hell have you been all day? It certainly isn't here with us!"

Looking around one last time, he swallowed hard and said in a low voice. "I'm going ring shopping with Laura and Nell the Saturday after next. I'm going to have a jeweler design an engagement ring for Kensi."

Sam looked shocked for a moment and then smiled widely. "It's about time Deeks! You asked us ages ago! What have you been waiting for?"

Deeks raised an eyebrow and cocked his head at Sam who momentarily looked horrified as he realized what he'd said. Scrambling he said "I mean, I expected…I thought…" He couldn't continue, not sure how to dig himself out of the hole he'd dug for himself.

Callen shook his head and joined the conversation. "What he means to say, Deeks, is that we're both very happy for you and glad you're ready to take this next step."

"Oh, is that what he meant?" Deeks grinned at Sam who realized he was being teased and grinned back. He really was happy for his teammates and found himself looking forward to being able to tease the two of them about their engagement. He wondered who would be asked to walk Kensi down the aisle and who would be Deeks's best man. He opened his mouth to ask something along those lines when they heard Kensi coming down the hall from the firing range. He snapped it shut and studiously went back to his paperwork, completely forgetting about lunch.

When Kensi sat down at her desk, she sensed that whatever Deeks had been up to with Nell had now been expanded to include the guys. She didn't even bother to ask, knowing that neither one of them would give Deeks up and not wanting to give them the satisfaction of asking and being denied. She picked up the paperwork she'd left when deciding she was bored and wanted a distraction in the guise of shooting up paper suspects. She kept her eye on Deeks and saw the same dreamy expression on his face from earlier. As she watched him, she found herself smiling at him. There was something contagious about his expression, even if she didn't know what put it there.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N – Thanks to the amazing honus47 for making sure what you're reading isn't full of typos and inconsistencies or just plain weirdness! Well, not sure if anyone can prevent the weirdness!

A/N2 – thanks to my guest reviewers to whom I can't respond personally. If I missed anyone else, I'm sorry and I really do appreciate you taking the time to write a review! Also, thanks to everyone who has favorited and/or followed this!

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Julia's POV

Chapter 2

Julia Feldman looked at her front door in confusion. She knows he'd pulled into the driveway at least five minutes ago. When she'd heard the truck pull in, she'd peeked out the window and _saw_ him. She'd gone back to the kitchen to put on coffee and to pull out the large bottle of champagne she'd bought after he'd called earlier in the week, asking if he could stop by Friday night and requesting that she not tell Kensi he was coming. She'd tried to keep the excitement out of her voice when she'd agreed and thought she'd done a pretty good job. She had high hopes as to why he wanted to see her alone and without Kensi's knowledge. Yet he still hadn't knocked on the door or rung the bell. She pulled out coffee cups and champagne flutes, leaving them on the counter as she waited for him to announce his arrival.

She finally gave into curiosity and opened the door to find him pacing back and forth in front of her house, running his hands through his hair every few steps. She suppressed a grin, his agitation making her even surer about why he was here tonight. She cleared her throat to get his attention. The look on his face was comical, almost more than she could take and she had to work hard not to laugh at him. A random thought went through her mind. "Don would have liked him." She felt the momentary sadness that always came when she thought of her deceased ex-husband. He'd been a good man and hadn't deserved what had happened to him. Smiling at the young man standing at the end of her walkway and staring at her with his mouth open, she said "You'd better come in before one of my busy body neighbors calls the police about someone casing the houses on the street."

Absently he answered "I _am_ the police."

"Marty! Are you going to come in or are you going to wear a path in the sidewalk?" She grinned at him and was happy to see him smile in return. Watching him lope up the walkway, she absolutely knew what her daughter saw in Marty Deeks and felt her own heart flutter a little. She held the door open and waved him in. He walked by her, a slight blush of embarrassment at being caught on his cheeks. She shut the door and ushered him into the living room.

"Can I get you a cup of coffee? I have a fresh pot on." She didn't bother to mention that she'd put it on especially for him. She knew from experience that both he and Kensi practically existed on the stuff, an addiction that she'd never really understood. The only reason she even kept the stuff in her house was for guests.

"Yes, that would be great! Thanks Mrs. Feldman."

Julia sighed and said, for the umpteenth time, "Marty, please call me Julia. When you call me Mrs. Feldman you make me feel old."

The blush that had finally faded made an encore appearance as he looked horrified that he might have offended her. He started to stutter out an apology, tripping over her name until she took pity on him and said with a laugh. "It's alright, I'm not offended. I understand you mean it as an expression of respect and I won't push it anymore." In her head she added _'Especially as I'm hoping you'll be calling me mom sooner rather than later'_.

He sighed in relief and she left to get the coffee. Returning she found him pacing again. Back and forth from one end of the living room to the other and she started to worry that she'd misread the situation. Was he here to tell her that he and Kensi had broken up? No, that would come from Kensi, not him. Was something wrong with one of them? She felt her stomach tighten at the idea that he was sick and was here to ask her to look after Kensi when he was gone. Unable to stand it any longer, she entered the room, put the coffee on the table and stepped in front of him.

"Marty, what's wrong? Why were you pacing in front of the house instead of coming in? Why are you pacing now? Is something wrong? Talk to me sweetie!"

He looked at her and said in one breath "IwanttoaskKensitomarrymeandIwouldlikeyourpermissionandyourblessing."

"What? Honey, slow down. I didn't understand a single word you just said!"

He took a deep breath and said it again, slowly this time. "I want to ask Kensi to marry me and I would like your permission and your blessing." He heaved a sigh, relieved that it was now out in the open and he watched her anxiously.

A huge smile lit up her face and she pulled him into a hug, at the same time saying "Yes, yes, yes! I knew it! I knew that was why you were coming here tonight!" A thought crossed her mind and she pulled back, searching his face, noting the relief on it. "Marty, why did the thought of asking me if I would be okay with this, make you so nervous? You had to have known I'd say yes, you two are made for each other and I can't imagine a better man for my daughter to spend the rest of her life with."

He swallowed hard and looked away from her, saying softly. "I wasn't sure if you'd think that I was good enough to marry her. She's really something special and I'm just a cop who grew up in Reseda. I don't have family and I'm never going to make enough money to give her all the things she deserves. I know she's out of my league."

Stepping back from him, Julia punched him in the shoulder. "Martin Deeks, how dare you! How dare you think that money is the only thing that makes a man worthy of my daughter! She deserves someone who will love her unconditionally. Someone who will always be there for her, through the good times and the bad. A man who will make her laugh and who will cry with her when she's sad. A man who will always put her first but won't let her walk all over him. One that will pick and choose his battles, letting her win when it matters the most to her. That's not something money can buy. That's character and that's all the things I see in you. You are a good, kind and gentle man. One I will be proud to call my son-in-law. Someone I hope will eventually let me call him son." Julia wound down and watched the emotions play over his face.

"I want to be that man Julia, I really do. But you don't know all the sides of me." He paused and walked away from her, facing the window to the street, staring out of it. He sighed, knowing he had to put it all on the table so that she could make an informed decision. He continued in a whisper. "There's a violence in me that comes from my dad. It's something I guard against every day. I worry that one day I might not be able to fight it anymore."

"Marty, everyone has the capacity for violence in them. If you didn't acknowledge it and take care to fight against it, then you would be a very different person. One I would _not_ want to marry my baby girl. But that's not you! I've seen you with Kensi, with Sam and Michelle's children, with Monty and other animals. There is no _way_ that man would ever hurt someone he loved, at least not deliberately. And if you did, I know it would destroy you. You _are_ a good man Marty Deeks! Someone I trust with my daughter's heart and her future."

The shear happiness and relief on his face made Julia wish she were a young woman again and she felt just the slightest quiver of jealousy that her daughter would be spending the rest of her life with this man. She knew Kensi would say yes. Julia had been hinting around at marriage to Marty for a while now and she knew the look on her daughter's face. It was one of longing and hope when she was caught in an unguarded moment. Julia pulled Marty into another hug and then released him, saying. "Wait here a moment!"

She hurried back to the kitchen and returned with the champagne and glasses. He looked at the bottle in confusion and then at her. "What? Where did that come from?"

"I bought it the day you called me to ask to come over tonight. I suspected that the reason you wanted to see me without Kensi was that you were going to tell me you wanted to propose to her. I hope this makes you understand that I consider this an occasion for celebration and that you see just how much I care about you. When we almost lost you after your abduction, I realized just how much you've come to mean to me, Kensi or no Kensi."

She held the bottle out to him and he started the process of uncorking it. It popped with a satisfactory noise and the champagne bubbled up over the neck of the bottle. Julia quickly put the first glass under it and he poured it out. She switched glasses and, when that was filled as well, he put the bottle down on the coffee table. She handed him a glass and held hers up. "To a long and happy life for the two most important people in my life. May you always look to the future but learn from the past." She smiled mischievously at him and continued. "May you go forth and multiply!" She clinked her glass against his.

He'd been working on his own toast in his head while he listened to hers. The last part drove all thoughts out of his head and he gaped at her, not having any idea how to respond to that. She raised her eyebrows at him and her eyes were twinkling. Once he got over the initial shock, his own eyes twinkled back at hers and he said. "May you always be available for babysitting!"

When they'd both finished laughing, he got serious and raised his glass again. "May I always be worthy of the trust you've put in me today. I make you this promise; I will never deliberately do anything to hurt your daughter. She is the love of my life and I will spend the rest of it making sure that she knows that she is the most important person in this world to me." He watched as Julia's eyes filled with happy tears and they clinked glasses one more time and drank.

They both sat on the couch and the bottle of champagne disappeared quickly as they talked with an ease neither had felt with the other before tonight. Julia wasn't much of a drinker and she actually had more than her share of the bottle, eventually making her a little tipsy. She yawned widely at one point and he took that as his queue to leave. Walking him to the door, she stopped and pulled him into another hug. With her filter slightly off kilter, she said "If I were a younger woman, Marty Deeks, I would seriously consider giving Kensi a run for her money. My daughter is a lucky woman." He swallowed his surprise and quietly said his goodnight.

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Deeks's POV

He pulled up into the driveway of the Feldman home and turned off the ignition. He stared up at the house and thought that his place would fit into this one twice, with room left over. He got out and started up the walk but then stopped as his doubts overwhelmed him. This was Kensi's mother, for crying out loud! He needed to do this right and he only had this one chance. He turned and began to pace back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the house, practicing and then discarding one conversation after another, absent mindedly running his hands through his hair. When the door to the house opened and Julia appeared, she caught him by surprise. When she told him that the neighbors might call the cops on him, he pointed out that he was the cops.

She'd grinned at him and he felt better. He thought about what Nell had said about Julia caring about him and it gave him some confidence back. He made his way up the walk and into the house. When she offered him coffee he was happy to say yes. It would give him something to do with his hands. When she chided him about not calling her Julia and making her feel old, he felt his heart sink. Had he already blown it coming out of the gate? He tried to recover but it seemed like he couldn't get the words out. He felt some relief when she said she understood that he meant to respect her but was suspicious that she'd backed down so easily. He'd seen her in action when Kensi had dragged him along on one of their shopping expeditions and he knew she could be just as tenacious as her daughter when she wanted something.

She left to get the coffee and he started to pace again, trying to drain off some of his nervous energy before he embarrassed himself again. He had no idea that he was being watched or of the thoughts floating through the head of the woman watching him. She entered the room and put the coffee down, stepping in front of him, forcing him to stop. The worry on her face as she asked him what was wrong, made him realize that he'd given her the wrong impression and he blurted out his reason for being there in one long breath. He grimaced when she said she hadn't understood him. Now he had to say it again.

Slowly he asked the mother of the woman who owned him, heart and soul, for permission to marry her. Her response overwhelmed him as she shouted yes as if he'd asked _her_ to marry him and her hug made him feel a warm glow. She pulled back to ask him why he had been so nervous about asking a question that had only one answer and he found himself telling her his biggest fears. His worry that the dark side of him that came from his father made him a bad bet. That he wasn't good enough for Kensi.

When Julia punched him, his jaw dropped open as he realized Kensi had gotten that move from her mom, not her dad as he'd always suspected. The only thing he could think to say was "Ow!" He reached up and rubbed his shoulder. Damn, she hit harder than Kensi did!

As he listened to her list all the things that she saw in him, all the things that made her happy to know he was Kensi's future, he searched her face, looking for any sign of hesitancy or lies and found none. A weight he hadn't known he'd been carrying since he'd made the decision to propose to Kensi, lifted off his shoulders and he smiled widely at Julia. She hugged him again and told him to wait, returning in moments with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. He stared at the bottle, wondering if she just happened to have one lying around and ready for any unexpected moment. He asked and when she said she bought it because she'd hoped this was what he was coming here for tonight, he was overwhelmed. She handed him the bottle and he wrestled the cork out. When the champagne started to escape, she was there with the glasses.

Her toast choked him up and he sought one of his own that would measure up. When she added the one about multiplying he lost all coherent thought and realized this woman was happy with the idea that he may be the father of her grandchildren. Not knowing how to respond to something that impacted him so profoundly, he fell back on his normal humor and let her know they would be relying on her for babysitting duty. Once the laughter had broken the tension he felt, he had gotten more serious and found the words that showed her what was in his heart.

They finished off the champagne, although he had far less than her as he was driving. As they talked, he realized it was the first one on one that they'd had since Kensi had asked him to watch over her while she tracked down her dad's murderer, oh so long ago. It was nice to find that they were easy with each other. There were no awkward silences, no questions asked and unanswered, hanging in the air between them. He genuinely liked this woman and was happy to know that they were able to get along so well without Kensi present as their focus. He'd heard horror stories about in-laws, some from Sam Hanna, and he'd been nervous about it.

When he realized she had gotten a little tipsy and was fighting off sleep, he stood up and made his excuses to leave. He wanted to get home before Kensi anyway. Nell had agreed to get her out of the house tonight, so that he could come over here without having to make up excuses but he didn't know how long they'd be out. He didn't want to have to explain where he'd been.

Julia walked him to the door and when she told him that she thought her daughter was lucky and what she would do if she were younger, his jaw dropped open and he watched carefully as her eyes fluttered open and shut. He decided there and then, that she didn't mean it the way it sounded and that he would never speak of it again. He walked out into the night air and the door closed behind him. He thought of all she'd said to him over the course of the evening. He tilted his head back to look up at the stars in the sky and smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jennifer Driscoll looked up as the bell over the door to her shop let her know she had a visitor. She was pleased to see her 11:00 appointment walk in. Laura Shelton was one of her best customers. One she'd originally tolerated just for the business as she had never been able to really warm up to her, until recent months that is. Something had changed and the woman had become far more approachable and fun. She had now come to consider her a friend as well as a client. She looked at the couple with her and decided these must be the two who were shopping for an engagement ring. She frowned a little as she eyed the tall blonde and short red head. While they were obviously comfortable in each other's presence, there was no spark, no romance, none of the lingering sideways looks she normally saw between two people in love and contemplating a life together as they shopped for _the_ ring. In addition, the man was dressed as if he were going to go work out, not picking out a symbol of his undying love for the woman he wanted to marry.

Rising from her workstation behind the counter, she approached Laura with her hand out and was swept up into a hug. Laura smiled at her and turned to introduce the couple with her. "Jen, this is Marty Deeks and Nell Jones. Marty is looking for an engagement ring and I told him you were the best. Nell, Marty, this is Jennifer Driscoll, an artist with jewelry!" Jen watched as Laura and the man named Marty exchanged warm smiles full of love and frowned again. What the hell was going on? Laura was already married and older than this guy by about a decade.

Deeks noticed the frown and wondered what was going on in the woman's mind. He held out his hand and said "I'm pleased to meet you Miss. Driscoll."

She took it, as it would be rude to ignore it, but left her hand limp in his. She very politely said "And you Mr. Deeks."

"Marty or Deeks, please."

"Yes. So. What kind of ring were you looking for Mr. Deeks?"

Laura looked at her in bewilderment. Jen was usually warm and open hearted, a true free spirited artist. This was not like her. She answered for him. "My little brother wants something as one of a kind and beautiful as the woman he's going to propose to."

Now Jen was really confused. She was pretty sure that Laura didn't have a brother and she was completely ignoring the future fiancé in the room. Laura saw her looking from one person to the other and put two and two together. She bit her lip to keep from laughing as she explained. "Marty isn't my brother by birth but he's as close to John, Meaghan and myself as you can get without a blood tie. Nell is his girlfriend's best friend, as well as their co-worker, and is here to help give you some ideas about what Kensi would like."

"Kensi?"

Deeks smiled as he realized the mistaken impression Jen had been laboring under. He pulled out his phone and swept it open. A picture of the two of them with Monty at the beach was his screensaver. His arms were around her and they were looking at each other as the dog sat at their feet. He turned the phone towards her and said softly "This is Kensi." Laura heard the love in his voice and looked carefully at the picture, seeing all the things that she had mistakenly been looking for between him and the red head. She blushed bright red as she thought about how wrong she'd been and looked up to find three highly amused people watching her.

"I'm so sorry I jumped to conclusions. Can we start over?" She held her hand to Deeks. "It's very nice to meet you Marty."

"No problem!" he said as he took her hand a second time. He grinned at her lopsidedly, the smile lighting up his whole face, making his eyes sparkle and she completely forgot what she'd been going to say next. There was silence in the room for a moment until Nell broke it. During the time Kensi was in Afghanistan and she'd been partnered with Deeks, she'd seen this reaction more than once and not always from women.

"So. I've never been involved in creating a piece of jewelry from scratch. What's involved in it?" she asked.

Jen shook her head and allowed her enthusiasm for her craft to take over. "First I need to know what kind of person she is. Outdoorsy, frilly, serious, fun loving, romantic, pragmatic." She paused, not expecting an answer and almost laughed when she got one.

"Yes." Deeks said a faraway look on his face. Jen watched him and knew that she would need to create something really special for him to give to the woman who could bring _that_ look to a man's face. When he realized the three women in the room were all looking at him with identical soft expressions on their faces, it was his turn to blush. He cleared his throat and said "Um, yes, well, what else?"

Jen smiled and continued with the more factual side of the act of gathering enough information to design a piece of jewelry for someone she'd never met. "Does she like yellow gold, white gold, silver? Diamonds? What's her favorite color? Big pieces or understated?"

Again it was Deeks who responded. "Yellow gold. Yes. Cornflower blue. Understated."

Jen blinked at the absolute surety in his voice. Most guys who came in hemmed and hawed when faced with these questions. She smiled and went back to her workstation to pull out the notebook where she made notations about the person she was crafting a piece for. She came back around the counter and gestured to the table she had set up to meet with her customers. She offered coffee and all three agreed. She brought the pot and four cups to the table and they sat, each making a cup to their own liking. She took up the notebook, opened it to a fresh page and looked at Deeks. "How do you spell Kensi?"

"K-e-n-s-i." He replied. She noted it at the top and then added what he'd already told her.

Looking up she asked "Now, do you have any design elements you'd like to incorporate? Something that would remind her of you every time she looks at it?"

Nell and Deeks exchanged looks. Deeks looked at Jen and asked jokingly "Can you make it in the shape of a gun?"

Nell slugged him in the shoulder and he sighed, not even bothering to say 'ow' as she lacked the wallop of Kensi, Talia or especially Julia. What was it was him and women, that they felt the need to hit him all the time? He knew the answer even though he'd never admit it to himself.

Jen's jaw dropped open and she blinked several times. She snapped her mouth shut and stammered out "A, a g..g..gun?"

Deeks, Nell and Laura laughed out loud at the look on her face. Feeling bad for the woman, Nell said "Kensi's a federal agent, as am I. Deeks, here, is an LAPD detective, our agency's liaison to LAPD and Kensi's partner. She's a sharp shooter and can best anyone with a gun. Or a knife."

Jen's eyebrows rose up into her hairline, wondering how Laura Shelton, southern debutante, had become involved with these people. Looking at the easy way they were with each other, she decided that, however it had come about; it was good for the woman and she would bet that this is what had made such a marked change in her. She cleared her throat and said "Well, I'm guessing that was a joke? Should we try that again?"

"Well, I don't think a fern would translate to a ring very well, nor would a cactus." Deeks was deadly serious this time and Jen just shook her head, not wanting to know. He was quiet for a moment and then said softly "Sapphires."

"Sapphires?" asked Nell.

"It was the color of the dress she was wearing in Cassie and Paula's wedding. It was during that wedding that I made the actual decision to ask her to marry me and asked Callen and Sam for their permission. The color was stunning on her." He didn't bother to tell them the rest of the story, about how she'd said they looked like something out of a Victorian romance and he'd replied it was a love story, something that had meant a lot to her but he hadn't known why until she'd explained it. He certainly wasn't going to tell them his reaction to her in that dress, which was to get it off her as quick as humanly possible. He got a little red and the women wondered what was going on in his mind.

"Okay, so we have gold, diamonds, sapphires, um, ferns?" She noticed the wistful look on his face when she said ferns and tucked that away. Continuing she asked "How do you feel about jackets?"

"Ahhh, I like them to be warm?" He replied, totally at a loss.

Jen laughed. "A jacket is also called a ring wrap or a ring guard. It's another ring that complements and enhances the engagement ring by wrapping around it, plus it protects it."

He considered for a moment and then said "I like it."

"Okay, I'll make sure to incorporate one into a couple of the designs. Now, what shape? Square, emerald, round, oval, pear, marquise?"

Deeks looked totally overwhelmed so Nell answered. "Not square. Someone we were interviewing once had a square diamond and Kensi told me later that she found it very unappealing. Not marquise either, she can't have something with points that could catch on things. I think that would apply to pear shaped as well."

"Okay, round or oval it is. I'll do a couple of each. Do you want me to make the wedding ring as well? I can do the whole set. Yours as well." She was hoping he said yes, as an idea was forming in her head and her hand was itching to get it down on paper. The design she had in mind would require her to make all four rings. When he nodded yes, she felt her excitement rise. It was always this way when she was about to start on a project that she just knew would have an outcome that would please both her, as the artist, and the client.

She had just a few more questions and then they chatted some more as they finished up their coffees. She led the conversation around to Kensi several times, noting the responses from all three so that she could get a clearer idea of who the woman was. She found herself hoping that, when all was said and done, she would get to meet this woman. Once she had everything she needed, they stood up and she shook everyone's hand, getting another hug from Laura. She promised to be in touch once she had some designs for them to review. Laura left to go home and Deeks drove Nell to her place before continuing on to pick Kensi up for their Saturday self-defense lessons at the Sheltons. All the way to Nell's, they'd talked about Jen and their impressions of her. Both had thoroughly liked her, after the initial rocky start, and had high hopes for the results of today's meeting.

Kensi had that weird feeling again, all during class. She'd see glances exchanged between Deeks and Laura and she knew they knew something she didn't. At least this time, it had nothing to do with Nell.

~,~,~,~

Eight days later, the three of them were back. Laura was actually surprised at how quickly the designs were ready. In the past, sometimes one of her pieces would take several weeks before the design came together, sometimes even longer. When she mentioned that to Jen, the artist had replied that she'd been inspired and hadn't been able to sleep at night with all the ideas running through her head. She was normally closed on Sundays but couldn't wait any longer for them to come into the shop. Laura had been pleased with her answer and couldn't wait to see them for herself. It was a little tough to get Nell away from Eric and Marty from Kensi for a second weekend in a row. He was supposedly surfing and Nell was meeting Laura for brunch.

Jen was once again surprised at how Deeks was dressed, his attire was better suited to a day out surfing, but she kept it to herself, not knowing how close she was to the truth. She placed over a dozen designs in front of them and the three put their heads together, discussing the pros and cons of each one and what aspect Kensi would like best. Jen saved the best one for last and waited until they had gone through the others. She put it in front of Deeks and he went dead still. The design showed three rings, the engagement ring, the jacket and the wedding band. They all had flatter bands than normal and there was a delicate design of a fern leaf engraved across all three. Alone, you wouldn't know what it was but, when all three were together and lined up correctly, it was immediately identifiable.

The engagement ring itself was a simple round diamond but the jacket had two sapphires, each in the shape of a heart that would nestle on either side of the center diamond, the ends pointing out. Jen knew by the look on his face, that this was the one he wanted. She gently put another piece of paper next to it, showing his wedding ring. It, too, was flatter than normal and had a matching fern engraved on it. He looked up at her and she was surprised to see tears in his eyes. He smiled blindingly at her and it made all the late nights worthwhile. She'd done it; she'd captured exactly what he wanted. He reached out and put a hand over hers, saying "These are amazing Jen! I can see why Laura wanted me to come here. You truly are gifted."

She smiled back, going a little red, pleased with the complements. "Do you know which one you want?"

She thought it was just a formality and was surprised when he said "Kensi has several very close girlfriends and I'd like all of them to feel included in this. Would it be okay if I brought them in sometime next week and let them take a look at my top three?"

"Um, sure, no problem." She replied. Inexplicably, she felt extremely let down. She looked at the designs laid across the table and knew they were all good but she'd been so _sure_.

Deeks watched Nell and Laura and, when their attention was on one of the other designs; he tapped Jen on the shoulder. She looked at him and he smiled again, keeping one eye on the other two. He cocked his head at the one in front of him and mouthed "This one, only this one." She smiled and felt her heart lighten. She'd been right after all. They pulled two other designs to add to the fern rings and those were the ones they decided to show the 'gang of girls' as Deeks called them. Nell and Laura watched him as he feathered a finger over the fern rings over and over. They both knew none of the other designs stood a chance but that he wanted to have everyone feel special about being included in making the final choice. They smiled at each other as they silently agreed to let him have his illusion that he'd fooled them.

Getting up, they agreed to let Jen know when everyone was available and then they'd make an appointment for that time. She told them that everyone was welcome as she showed them out and locked up the shop behind them. Nell looked at Laura and asked "Does she have any idea what she just agreed to?"

Laura laughed and said "She has no clue."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Deeks turned when Cassie and Paula joined the group. He did a quick head count and found that only Nell was missing now. They'd all agreed to meet at a coffee shop just down the street from the jewelry shop and the "gang of girls" was slowly rounding out. He sipped his coffee and listened to the conversations ebb and flow around him.

"You have no idea what a teenage girl is like!"

"Aiden went through his teen years and it wasn't that bad!"

"Girls are different! Just wait until Kamran reaches _that_ age."

This was Michelle and Laura debating the ins and outs of dealing with teenagers. He noted that Julia was part of that group and was listening intently, while not contributing much. He realized once again how hard it must have been for her to have Kensi grow up without her, having completely shut her mother out of her life. She'd missed those teenage years. Another snippet caught his ear.

"He was trapped under that car for over three hours. We thought for sure he'd lose that arm!"

"It was a bloody mess but we managed to save it. Did you see those gang bangers that were in the ER when you brought your guy in?"

"Hell yeah! What a scene that was!"

Moira and Tara talking shop.

"Oh, he's so cute!"

"I know! I can't believe it's been two weeks already since we brought him home!"

"It seems like he's been in our lives forever, he's made our family complete. How's LC doing?"

"He took his first step last week!" This announcement was met with congratulations and much excitement.

Deeks had to smile at the baby talk between Cassie, Paula and Cindy. Aaron's adoption had finally gone through and, while he wasn't technically a baby any more, the newness was still there. They'd hit a slight bump in the adoption road when a heterosexual couple had expressed interest in the young boy. He'd already become attached to the women and didn't want any part of the new couple but the adoption agent had insisted it was better for the child. His two friends had been devastated, but then a baby had become available and the other couple had forgotten Aaron even existed. Deeks had helped get the adoption expedited before someone else "more suitable" cropped up and showed in interest in the boy. Joelle was listening avidly and he had a feeling Callen was in for some baby talk in the not to distant future.

"A Sig 9 is the better gun!"

"Are you _insane_? A Beretta is soooo much better!"

He had to smile at the conversation between Talia and Cheryl. It reminded him of a conversation between himself and Kensi when they'd first been partnered, back when neither one of them had trusted the other. He scanned the group of women and shook his head when he realized just how big this group had gotten.

He contemplated the new additions. Tara had been his friend for a long time. Moira had come into their sphere while he was in the hospital. Both women had melded into the group like they'd always been there. Then there was Cheryl. The FBI agent and Neal were still dating and it looked like it was starting to get serious. He wouldn't have imagined the British butler and American agent together, but somehow it worked. Talia had been around NCIS for several years but she and Kensi had always been tense with each other. Something had changed when he was in ICU and he thought that something just might be Craig. They, too, had been dating since just after his stay in the hospital and, while neither of them would admit it, it looked serious enough. He hadn't seen or heard anything to indicate either was seeing anyone else, not that they'd have time as they always seemed to be together during every non-working moment.

Slowly, but surely, each woman had been reached out to and found a place in the group. It was a sight to behold when they went out en masse. Especially when they were dressed to the 9's. Julia was the exception. She'd been invited out with them on several occasions but had declined, feeling that having "mom" along would impinge on Kensi's enjoyment. She'd confided to him that the mere fact that she'd even been asked had made her so happy. Day by day she and Kensi were slowly repairing their relationship.

His immediate nickname of the "gang of girls" had stuck and had even been adopted by them. In retaliation, Kensi had come up with her own nickname for whenever the guys got together. She called them the "band of boys" and he'd actually been proud of her for it. Of course, the rest of his group was less than pleased with the moniker, claiming they were men not boys. Kensi had responded with "Boys will be boys!"

His thoughts were interrupted when Nell hurried through the door, apologizing for being late. Kensi had caught her before she left work and she hadn't been able to get away. As far as Kensi knew, he was out with Callen and Sam for some training on tracking. Something they planned to do after the meeting so that Deeks wouldn't have to lie to her, plus Sam was always looking for opportunities to bump up the detective's skill levels.

It was Friday night and Kensi'd been a little irritated that he was going out. She'd reached out to all the girls to try to get something going but each had replied that they had plans and she'd been disappointed to find no one to hang out with. Unfortunately, tonight was the only night all the women were free and Jen was available. Kensi'd finally declared a nice evening alone with the tub, beer and ice cream was perfectly fine. He was sure Titanic was already queued and ready to go. When she'd seen Nell still at work, she'd tried to get her to change her plans but the analyst had stayed firm and finally managed to extricate herself from her friend. Now that they were all here, everyone cleaned up their trash and headed for the door. Deeks led the way to the shop with Laura and Nell at his side.

He opened the door and stood aside to let the women through. He got glares from some and smiles from others. He chuckled as they paraded by him, his heart swelling as he thought of how different his life was now, compared to how it'd been prior to joining NCIS. When the last one was through the door, he entered himself and found Jen Driscoll staring at him in shock.

Jen had looked up when the bell rang, expecting Laura, Nell, Marty and maybe one to two other women. When the women started entering and didn't stop, her jaw dropped open. She watched each one come through the door, noting how disparate they were. She kept her smile on her face even as she wondered if she had enough to offer them to drink or if the store would hold them all. She'd bought two bottles of wine and hoped they'd go the distance. Thank goodness she'd opted for a slightly larger space than she'd originally thought she'd needed when she first rented the storefront.

When Marty finally closed the door and walked to the front, she randomly found herself wondering if this is what a sultan and his harem looked like. She felt herself get a little, ok a lot, warm, just thinking about that. Somehow her vision of his harem included her. She cleared her throat and said "Well, are we missing anyone? There has to be a few women left in the city of L.A. who _didn't_ just walk through my door!"

This got a laugh from everyone and the tone for the evening was set. Jen pulled out the three designs and they were handed from woman to woman. When Laura had emailed everyone to set this up, she'd let them know that there was one design that she and Nell were pretty sure Deeks had his heart set on. When she described the ring, everyone had agreed it was perfect and asked why he was going through with this exercise. When Laura had replied that he wanted everyone to feel included in this important decision, they'd all felt special. Somehow, in the midst of all the back and forths to find a time that worked for everyone, someone suggested playing a little joke on him and picking any ring other than the fern design. By the time they'd agreed on when everyone could meet, the decision was made and all had agreed to bypass the design in question.

Jen left the women to it and went into the back room to get the wine. When she returned to the shop proper, she was surprised to find three bottles of wine already sitting on the counter. She grinned. These were women after her own heart. She added her two and went back for glasses and a corkscrew. She didn't have enough wine glasses but shrugged her shoulders and took out a couple of coffee mugs. She had a feeling this group wouldn't mind. When she got back the second time, it was to find one of the women attempting to open the wine with a wicked looking knife. She paused and shook her head. She found she wasn't really that surprised and walked up to the woman, silently handing her the corkscrew. The woman smiled widely at her and put the knife away.

Shortly three of the bottles were open and each woman had a glass or mug in her hand. Introductions were made all around. The atmosphere in the shop was festive and Jen felt like her face was going to split from the big grin on it. She was thoroughly enjoying herself. As each woman reviewed the designs, agreeing in her head that the fern design was the _one_ , they also picked which of the other two they would falsely vote for. If it hadn't been for the fern design knocking the ball out of the park, it would have been a difficult decision. Each of the designs was beautiful and unique. As they made their decisions, they began to wander around the store, admiring the other pieces Jen had out for sale. Cassie and Paula found matching bracelets that they just had to have. Michelle found a ring that she couldn't live without. Laura had always had her pieces made but a pair of earrings had caught her eye for Meaghan. They practically screamed the teenager's name.

Deeks watched them all with a smile on his face, sipping his wine and answering any questions that came his way, all the while wishing he had a beer and Kensi by his side. He was confident that they would choose the correct design and watched the women interact, the groups shifting and forming in front of one piece of jewelry or another, sipping their own wine and laughing easily. In a fairly short period of time, the wine was gone and they declared they were all ready to reveal the design they thought he should pick. Each design was held up and those who wanted that one would raise their hands. He felt his heart drop as the first design was up and almost half of them voted for it. The other was shown and the rest voted for that one. The fern design was held up and no one held up their hand. He shared a look with Jen and was surprised to see the same look of devastation on her face that he suspected was on his.

He wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this. He knew there was only one ring for him but he'd asked them here to help him make a decision. If he selected the one design no one else had liked, what would that do to their friendships? Would he be busting up the gang? Would Kensi be furious with him? All these thoughts were running through his head until he realized Laura was trying hard not to laugh. He narrowed his eyes at her and she turned bright red, pressing her lips together. Eyes still narrowed he searched the faces of the rest of the women and it finally dawned on him that they were playing him. He shook his head and said "Seriously? A decision this important and you pull this on me?" He tried to keep an angry look on his face but his relief was too great and it quickly turned to a grin. Everyone started to laugh and then congratulated Jen on designing the perfect rings for their friends. Jen and Deeks agreed to talk during the week about the details, now that the decision was final.

They helped Jen clean up and were about to take their leave when the door opened again. Everyone turned to see who was coming in this late and Deeks heart dropped. The two men who'd come in were wearing ski masks and had guns. Instinctively, the law enforcement members of the group stepped in front of the civilians. The two men waved the guns and one said "We want all your jewelry and money, now. Put it in this bag." He indicated the bag being held by the other man. "We want all the cash from the register and every scrap of gold or jewels in the store. No one makes any calls, no one tries to hold out on us or someone gets hurt. Do you understand me?"

They all nodded. Slowly, Deeks reached behind him and put his hand on his gun tucked in his waistband. Around him, others made the same slow move. He took a deep breath and pulled the gun out, shouting "LAPD!" And listened as the rest of the alphabet made an appearance.

"NCIS!"

"CIA!"

"FBI!"

"DEA!"

He tried, he really did. Later he would say he tried so hard to stop it but it was out of his control. There had been nothing he could do about it. It had just happened. His mouth opened and it just came out, _again_.

"M-O-U-S-E!"

Every eye in the shop turned to him, including those of the would-be robbers and he just shrugged sheepishly. He waved his gun back at the men. Nell, Michelle, Cheryl and Talia looked back to the men and said in perfect unison "Put the guns down and put your hands up!"

The one on the left placed his gun on the floor and raised his hands. The man on the right started to bring his gun around and Deeks said "Don't be stupid, man! You're outnumbered and outgunned. The only way this ends well for you is to drop the gun and give up." The man wavered; the gun moving back and forth as he eyed all the guns aimed at him and decided on self-preservation as he, too, dropped the gun and raised his hands.

Deeks patted his pockets and asked "Anyone happen to have any zip ties?"

Still not sure exactly what had just happened in her shop, Jen blurted out "I do." He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "What? I use them for packing things up." He smiled at her and she ran into the backroom to grab a handful. Coming back to the front she thrust them at him. "Should I call the cops? I mean, should I call someone to come get them?" Deeks nodded and she made her way over to the phone.

Holstering his gun, Deeks approached the men and said 'Hands behind your back!" Again, they complied and he zip tied both of their hands together. Once done, he grabbed hold of the ski mask on the one who'd given them the most trouble and pulled it off, revealing an older man with a scar through his right eyebrow. He pulled the mask off the second man, revealing a much younger man. "What the hell were you two thinking? Even if there was no way to know there were cops on the premises, why would you try to rob a store full of people?"

The one Deeks had nicknamed Scarface sneered at him. "We figured a store full of broads would get us a good score and no one would fight back. We cased the place for a week and knew she didn't have much in the way of security. It would have been easy if you guys hadn't been cops." He spat on the floor.

"Yeah? And how'd that work out for you?" He shook the guy a little. "By the way? That was disgusting and very unhygienic!" Scarface's eyebrows went up. Or rather, one did, the other stayed put, making him look a little like Mr. Spock. Deeks looked out the window at the sound of sirens. There must have been a squad car in the general area to get that quick a response. They all waited in silence for the police to arrive, the women still pointing their guns at the two men, watching them warily. When the car arrived, the two officers who entered the shop reached for their own guns when they saw all the guns still drawn. Deeks looked back at his friends and grinned. "Okay, ladies, I think you can put them away now." All the guns went back into their various holsters with sheepish looks.

Turning to the two officers, he said "I'm Detective Marty Deeks. My friends and I were here for an appointment when these two came in and tried to rob the place. Four of the women behind me are federal agents and have authority to carry concealed weapons. These guys are ready for transport."

The officers holstered their own guns and took charge of the two men, taking them out to the squad car and putting them in the back. One stayed with them to stand guard and the older one came back in to take their statements. As each one of them related what happened, including the synchronized drawing of guns with each agency called out, the officer started to smile. When Jen faithfully recited everything that happened, including Deeks saying M-O-U-S-E, he burst into laughter. He turned to Deeks and said "I've heard about you. Glad to know you live up to your reputation!"

Deeks swallowed and asked "What reputation?"

"Stan Wolinsky is at my precinct, for now anyway. Rumor has it your boss Bates has his eye on him. Stan's told us a couple stories about you. Stories that don't mesh up with the ones I've heard from other cops. I'll take his word over the other rumors any day." He reached out a hand and said "Sgt. Don Brady, pleased to meet you."

Deeks took his hand and grinned. "Pleased to meet you too. Any friend of Stan's!" He gave his own statement along with his badge number and Don closed up his notepad.

Looking at all the women in the store, noting that Deeks was the only male, he looked over at him and whispered "What lucky star were you born under to be here with all these lovely women?"

Deeks chuckled. "They're actually all friends or family of me and my girlfriend. I'm here to pick out an engagement ring and they're here for support"

Don shook his head. "Man, I wouldn't be so quick to settle for just one, not with all these on hand."

Deeks smiled and said "That's because you've never met Kensi. She'd make you change your mind."

Don tilted his head and made a rueful face. "You've got it bad, man."

"Nope. I've got it good!"

Don and his partner left with their prisoners and the group discussed what had just happened. The civilians in the room were somewhat shell shocked, the worst being Jen who hadn't known that anyone other than Marty and Nell were law enforcement. She was especially surprised that all of them were carrying. Michelle had explained that she never left home without her weapon, never sure if someone from her past might catch up with her. Each of the other agents agreed. Jen considered it and realized she was grateful that was the case. If she'd been here alone or with a client who wasn't armed, who knows what would have happened. The thought had crossed Deeks mind as well and he said "We need to talk about your security. You're a prime target with precious metals and jewels on the premises. I know someone who does this for a living. I can talk with him and have him come by to work out a plan. He'll give you the friends and family discount."

Jen smiled at him gratefully. "I'd appreciate that. I never thought I'd need it until tonight. I can't thank you…" she looked around at everyone…" _all_ of you, enough. Things may have turned out quite differently if you weren't here." The enormity of what had just happened finally hit her and she began to shake, silent tears running down her face. The women all closed in on her, surrounding her and giving her comfort. She found herself envying them the closeness of their group. Unbeknownst to her, she had just unofficially become one of the "gang of girls".

Epilogue:

Three weeks later Deeks picked up the engagement and jacket rings. He'd agreed with Jen that he would hold off on the wedding rings until he'd actually done the proposing and she'd accepted. Jen privately thought Kensi would be a fool to say no. Deeks was thinking, now he just had to plan the perfect proposal.

FINIS

~,~,~,~

A/N – thanks to honus47 for the suggestion "what if the girls got together to pull a joke on Marty by picking a different design rather than the fern? Of course they would take the fern AFTER they all got their laughs."

A/N2 – thanks to Khept for the suggestion "Maybe you could include a jewelry heist when they go to sort out the ring"


End file.
